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Wednesday, October 28, 2009

My Love / Hate Relationships....

Crazy as it may sound, I have a love / hate relationship with the internet. I love being able to search for whatever I want, or shop for whatever I want, whenever I want. I can "window shop", or comparative shop from the privacy of my own home.

But, overall, I don't like to shop. I do like to converse with my friends. I like Facebook and email. I love having met some people who are very, very dear to me.... a few that I have never seen face to face.

But, there in lies another problem. I am very curious to see how this generation - this generation of "screens" - will turn out. I think of my children... they have never known a time when there wasn't the internet.... nor has my babysitter, for that matter. Cell phones, texting, ATMs, email.... DS....

There seems to be an interpersonal "disconnect"... and it's becoming one of my soap-boxes. Why call when I can text (I'm guilty as charged, by the way!)? I don't know the last time I sent a handwritten letter... Yes, the DS makes many, many situations more enjoyable for all involved, but does my son learn to be patient, to interact with a group of adults, or sit quietly through something as "BOR-ING" as a communion service if his head is buried in it?

It's interesting to me the dichotomy - or perhaps it's a revision of the definition of "Friend". "Friendship" by my definition, involves some sort of connection that is deeper than a casual interaction. Facebook tells me that I have 365 "friends" - one for each day of the year, I suppose. I couldn't list them if my life depended on it.... yet some of my dearest friends are NOT on that list .... they either haven't joined or don't have internet.

So, I'm curious. Yes, I am grateful for the conveniences in my personal life, but I fear we will kill ourselves in the name of convenience....literally....